ABOUT CLIVE WILLIAMSON

Clive Williamson is a composer and musician with the group Symbiosis and also works as a freelance graphic designer, photographer and journalist. His main interest has always been finding areas where Technology and the Arts can interact creatively. He trained at the BBC as a sound engineer and worked as a Technical Operator and Studio Manager in radio, and as an Assistant Producer in television (for BBC2's Riverside and Computers in Control). He went on to produce Applying the Micro for the U.K.'s national Radio 4 network and The Science of Sound for Radio 4 Education and BBC World Service.

As a journalist, Clive has written about the uses of new technology in sound production and music for the Institute of Broadcast Sound magazine Line Up; Sound on Sound Magazine; and most recently for the online magazine Digital DIY. Earlier he wrote three books on home computing (Sigma Press and Penguin Books) and articles for Which Micro?, Acorn User, Time Out and Televisual magazine. He was a regular contributor to The Big Byte (BBC Radio 5) and has since appeared as a composer and performer on Techno (BBC2); 11 a.m. (Seven Network, Australia); and on numerous radio programmes.

Clive now concentrates on his work with the London-based musical group Symbiosis, which he started in 1987, aiming to combine natural instruments such as flutes (played by himself and John Hackett) and guitars (played by Richard Bolton) with the best in studio technology and a sensitive approach to production. The group then expanded to include cittern and mandolin player Ashley Drees; flautist and singer Emily Sinclair; and a number of guest musicians including Sarah Devonald (oboe and Cor Anglais), Ian Ritchie (soprano sax) and percussionist Michˆ®le Drees. Clive has used digital recording methods to capture their performances and creates all their album covers using 'ambient images' from nature.

"Our goal has always been to use technology intuitively and creatively," says Clive, "so that our music - and the way we present it - is as natural and as inventive as possible. I think the best use of technology is often when it is completely transparent to our listeners, but has enabled us to make better recordings - with more heart-felt and inspired playing, writing and mixing - than would have been possible using traditional methods!"

In 1996/7 Clive travelled around New Zealand collecting nature recordings for the BBC's Sound Archives and the Symbiosis release "AOTEAROA - Nature Sounds of New Zealand". More recently, he recorded John Hackett and pianist Sally Goodworth's album of John's classically-inspired tunes titled "Velvet Afternoon" and designed the covers for both that album and John's latest solo release: "Checking Out of London" (March 2005). Since 2006 Clive has been expanding and remastering the range of Symbiosis recordings available for download world-wide from and filming for a collection of Symbiosis relaxation videos.